OE-A Business Climate Survey 2026 for Flexible and Printed Electronics: Growth Outweighs Uncertainty

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"Despite uncertainties, the industry is clearly on a growth path: companies are investing specifically in technology, capacity, and new talent – a clear sign of strong demand and great confidence in the future of printed electronics," comments Dr. Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of the OE-A, on the results of the latest Business Climate Survey. OE-A members expect sales growth of 7 percent this year, down from 14 percent in the last survey. “Nevertheless, the mood remains positive: printed electronics continues to grow – despite geopolitical tensions and economic challenges. The industry is clearly thinking ahead, as evidenced by an improved forecast for 2027 with expected growth of 10 percent,” says Hecker.

The bi-annual OE-A Business Climate Survey gathers insights from OE-A members across the value chain, including R&D institutes, material suppliers, manufacturers and end users. It provides qualitative data on industry trends, sales growth and market outlook, providing a snapshot of the current state and future direction of the industry. The survey is conducted by OE-A, an international working group within VDMA.

OE-A expects sales growth of 10 percent by 2027

The survey shows that the industry as a whole is very confident: 73 percent of OE-A members surveyed expect the printed electronics industry to continue growing this year (Oct. 2025: 58 percent). In the current survey, a third of respondents said they plan to increase production investment in the next six months, while 70 percent of companies intend to maintain their current investment level. In terms of employment, 84 percent of members plan to hire more staff, compared to only 30 percent in the October 2025 survey. The increased focus on innovation is also encouraging: 94 percent of companies want to expand their R&D activities (Oct. 2025: 74 percent).

Optimism prevails

These results are significantly higher than those of the last survey. "Despite lower expectations for revenue growth, the business climate is more positive in many areas compared to last year. The data clearly shows that overall economic developments are influencing our industry, but they are not slowing it down. At the same time, more intensive R&D activities and increases in investment and employment emphasize that companies are actively preparing for a promising period in a dynamic market," explains Klaus Hecker.